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NBA Analysis: Blazers vs. Bucks

If you’re a fan you’re excited about this game. Portland won a road game against a team expected to be a playoff participant in the East at the end of a lengthy four-game road trip. I will take nothing away from that win.

But it would be ridiculous of me not to point out a couple of continuing storylines for this team:

Nic Batum is getting his minutes cut. And yes, I noticed he got off to a horrible start last night. But the coach is messing with him a little, too, just the way he did with Martell Webster. Look, if you really do think Batum is going to be a star — and their reluctance to include him in any trades indicates they do think that — then show confidence in him and allow him to play through his mistakes. It’s imperative that his confidence isn’t shaken by the constant overreaction to a few mistakes. That keeps young players from finding their potential — and trust me, I’ve seen it happen in this league before.

Brandon Roy isn’t getting to the basket. He goes to the left elbow, just as he used to, and tries to get to the hoop — but constant double-teams are fencing him in. Either that or he’s lost a little explosiveness. Either way, when he sets off on one of his drives to the basket he never gets there — and the offense becomes totally stagnant and predictable.

The Blazer bench plays much better when Armon Johnson is on the floor. You need a point guard to get your team into offense — that no-point-guard stuff isn’t going to work long term because Wesley Matthews, Roy and Rudy Fernandez cannot get the team into any sort of offense over an extended period of time.

Johnson was terrific last night.

Brandon Jennings was absent last night. Just absent.

All that said, it was a nice bounceback by the Blazers. But things don’t get any easier this week. Oklahoma City Thursday and the Lakers Sunday. Some great early season tests.